


Destined Flames: The Fated

by Golden_Mermaid



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Biting, Blood and Violence, Consensual Sex, Developing Relationship, Dom/sub, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Light BDSM, Light Bondage, M/M, New War/Game of Chess, Original Characters - Freeform, Past Abuse, Porn With Plot, Twin Flame Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-02-10 19:20:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12918558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Golden_Mermaid/pseuds/Golden_Mermaid
Summary: Yang and Mercury are aware of this deep connection they’ve developed overtime, but both refuse to confront each other about their hindered feelings. As an unexpected villain and a new war arises, maybe they’ll realize what their complex relationship truly signifies.With lives at stake and unforeseen turnabouts, more mysterious enemies begin to reveal themselves. As dark pasts and new lessons unravel, how long will it take for Yang and Mercury to admit their true feelings... before one them meets the inevitable?





	1. The Man in Red

**Author's Note:**

> **UPDATE**: I edited chapter 1 (a lot) to make it wayy better. Please read the next chapter too. You won't regret it :)
> 
> Thank you and especially thanks to my wonderful friend Luferea for helping me edit this chapter! Enjoy! ~ <3

"Ugh, my head."

Yang groaned, her skull feeling as if it had been split in two. The pain amplified by a throbbing that pulsed in rhythm to the sound of dripping water echoing as if off metal walls.

Her eyes opened slowly as the pain in her head helped to rid the rest of her body of the numbness of unconsciousness.

A damp, badly lit, gray cell came into view as she blinked her world into focus.

_Where am I?_

Attempting to move she agitated the shackles that bound her wrists. The movement sent the attached chains clanking loudly against the steel wall they were attached too.

Misjudging the cuffs' old and rusty look, Yang strained against her forced restraint with great fortitude. Regardless of her strength the cuffs were surprisingly durable and refused to budge. The pair of fetters reacted to her brute force, radiating a bright reddish-orange glow, they started to tighten, the metal heating up, and sparks jumping from the metal to burn all the way up her arms.

Still, this was nothing compared to what she had endured before.

"Why can't I remember anything?" she grumbled under her breath.

As she tried to recollect her thoughts, the clanking noises she had been making caught someone's attention from upstairs. The lights flickered as the footsteps grew louder and louder.

Suddenly, the lights went out and cold air drifted into the pitch-black cellar. Within a few seconds, the lights flickered back on and a smirking man was standing in front of her prison door.

"Having trouble remembering why you are here?..." 

He tilted his head, arms crossed against his chest, disapproval apparent.

Her jaw tightened and she slowly lifted her head. He didn't look too happy. The serious look on his face became unreadable and his intense glare didn't help either while her lilac-colored eyes were assessing the man, who was most likely making observations himself.

She couldn't ignore the immense amount of power radiating around his body. It was undeniable, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

"It's because you recklessly defeated over half of my helpless comrades earlier...by the docks" he barked, his face contorting from frustration.

He had ash brown hair, spikey and slightly slicked to the side so you could notice his "wonderful" menacing grin and sun-kissed complexion. She had just turned 23 and he couldn’t be much older.

_I'll at least, give him some credit for being tough and a bit good looking. What a waste..._

She was no longer surprised that another handsome douchebag ended up being a villain. Another potential bae or a quick hookup was crossed off her list. 

"We were about to send off some 'special deliveries'. Then a girl with fiery, golden hair came crashing down from the sky and it caught my attention. The explosion from your attack destroyed our ship." his copper eyes dimmed.

Next she noticed his dark red 'holy coat' and black body armor with golden accents that accentuated his muscles. The coat had two separate sleeves connected at the back that covered his arms and was cut off showing his upper torso and midriff. Including a separate red open skirt that ended above his shins with the top, fashioned, and tied in a cross-looking knot, covered by a gold metal plate that matched his black pants and shoes.

Qrow had shown her pictures before she left of who to look out for and that unique coat made him stand out from the others.

 _Now let's find the confirmation marks_.  

She immediately spotted the two golden sword emblems that were connected with a chain on the front of his suit.

All verifications were certain.

He cleared his throat as his eyes continued to assess her. After the examination, he unlocked and opened the cell door. Her left hand shook, but the shackle tightened a bit more as a second reaction to her movements.

_Fantastic... it’s definitely him._

She finally recalled why she ended up in this situation. Yang managed to convince Uncle Qrow to let her take over his bounty mission, so he could attend the other mission in Mistral.

The given information about this man involved working with an extremely, private organization that occurred a year later after the war between Ozpin and Salem.

Ozpin reported to Qrow about his recent discoveries about the organization and their unexpected attacks. Yang just so happened to overhear their phone call.

The organization involved certain "qualifications" when it came to their targets.

After the man in red gave his look of approval, it meant that her life was momentarily spared. He walked towards her and his impure hands grabbed her golden locks.

She withheld her growl since she was still at a disadvantage. At least this wasn't the first time Yang had gotten another man's approval. Tons of guys wanted to get "busy" with her. Luckily not too many bothered her lately. Well... not until now

She was used to it, but the negative vibes he gave her made her dislike him even more as each second went by. The details about the organization's purpose is what kept her motivation alive.

Her goal was to save the innocent victims and bring them back home to their families. Family was always important to her and losing someone is an unbearable feeling she knew all too well. No matter what it took, these criminals had to be stopped. Starting with the man that was a few inches away from her.

While fondly observing her hair, Yang admitted to herself that she had to think things more thoroughly and have multiple backup plans. It was too risky to act soley on instinct.

She had her flaws and one of them was ignorance. She didn't expect the most wanted leader to show up so soon and thought she was mostly going to deal with his gang of henchmen.

Her arrogance also caused her to be captured in the first place.

She sighed and promised herself to stay level headed, and not too hot headed.... for the most part. That thick skull of hers would forget to do so most of the time. She looked up at her chained wrists and finalized her decision.

_Alright, time to start phase one._

She made a sly grin and focused on his eyes.

"As you already know, I am a certified huntress" she assured. "You were the one that struck me down with two blades. Then attempted to wipe out my memory by drugging me? Or did you use your semblance to do that? All in all, you certainly have a lot of tricks up your sleeve. Maybe you're a magician?" she slowly rolled her eyes and carefully looked around her cell.

Without her Ember Celica and lack of ammunition, she had to use her own set of tricks. Yang was also known for being stubborn. However, she learned to use this flaw in a more positive way by fueling her determination.

She tugged her hair away from his fingers as she moved her head and legs to the opposite side. It was her way of saying she wasn't having any BS today. 

Taking the hint, his eyes glistened from amusement. "You're kind of close, but not quite."

"I can tell that you're smart... but still reckless. Maybe, I can show you an enticing trick or two. A few lessons that may benefit you. Once I add you to my collection." he said making a sinister smile.

"In fact, you'll be an excellent addition. Even though you are missing a limb... your beauty and strength makes up for it. I'm positive there are hundreds of guys who would love to have a badass woman like yourself that can cause that much destruction. You have some value... after what I witnessed today. Your skills can be useful." his eyes fixated on her.

Yang's eyes were trying to burn right through him, making it clear that she'll beat the shit out of him soon for his backhanded compliments. They held an intense staring contest with each other for a while. Long story short, she lost.

_Collection?...disgusting. This organization involves trafficking hunters, huntresses, and young children across Vale._

"Such a pain.." she shrugged while her anger grew evidently. 

"WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE VICTIMS YOU KIDNAPPED, DAMN IT?!!!" 

Her rage slowly diffused and surprisingly, her eyes were still lavender but should have been red after that outburst.

With her eyes closed, she took deep, heavy breaths and looked very serene.

 _Think first… attack the asshole later._  

She opened her eyes and attempted to intimidate the bastard, but his face lit up with more amusement. As they continued their second staring contest, Yang couldn't help but feel a bit concerned.

She wasn't sure if her semblance would be strong enough to break the shackles once activated. She wondered how far they’d take her, knowing that her aura is down to at least 50% due to the attacks from earlier. Also, underestimating this man would be a big mistake to go through again. He was the main reason why her circumstances weren't going so well.

All she knew is that his semblance involved some sort of projectile. The problem was the possibility of him having more than one ability. Magic maybe? His case seemed complex and anything was possible in the world of Remnant. Pondering about what to do next, the man put his hand on her shoulder.

"You know, you may serve a significant role on my team. Instead of adding you to my collection... I can make you my leading lady,” he said in a kinder tone.

She blinked and raised an eyebrow in response to his suspicious offer.

"Why would I ever agree to join an organization that illegally sells, and belittles both humans and faunus like SLAVES?! Your offer is a complete joke. Just like you." She ridiculed.

"Is that so?.." He knelt down and grabbed her chin, forcing her to gaze upon him.

"I would not waste my time, and effort, on selling those with special talents. Even the younger ones can be useful. Their roles will be used for something much greater. Not to earn money, work, or whatever your funny little mind is thinking." he scoffed.

"I am preparing for...well, I can't give you the details, unless you accept my offer."

"If you refuse however... I'll either kill you, send you off with the others, or make you my personal slave. I am leaning more towards the last one because I have to admit, you are highly entertaining to me. Your womanly figure is also just... right." He whispered in her ear.

"What's it gonna be gorgeous? This is a one time offer and I am willing to show you some mercy." He proclaimed as his breath pressed against her cheek, and his fingers ran through her hair.

"Ready to join me?" He smirked.

"Not even in your wildest dreams, pal!!" she roared as her right foot smashed into his abdomen with full force.

His entire body crashed into the cement ceiling, leaving a deep indent. Once landed on the ground and rose back onto his feet, the sparkle in his eyes made it clear that she made a HUGE mistake.

"Interesting," he let out a soft laugh and fixed his suit. "You clearly chose option number one. No matter, you chose your fate...you stupid bitch."

The man in red projected two blades that instantly appeared in both hands. "DIE!!"

His white blade aimed straight for the middle of her head, ready to slice her entire body in half in one swipe. Yang quickly activated her semblance, raising her entire body upwards, lifting her right foot first, while her left foot followed and bashed his face, causing him to redirect his attack onto the middle of the chains connected to her shackles.

She avoided her demise by a hair. The power emanating from his blades were strong enough to destroy the chain and weaken her cuffs. It was enough for her to separate them from the wall and smashed them onto the ground. She jumped high and securely placed her right palm on top of his head and lifted her body upwards in the air. As gravity pulled her downwards, she put her feet against the wall so her body was in a right angle and bent her legs. Immediately she pressed forward to propel her flaming body towards the cell door, speeding like a rocket.

As she flew by, the man's counter attack was directed towards her legs. However, she performed a twisting, sophisticated backflip with her arms crossed against her chest and legs high, just barely dodging his strike. She rolled behind him, grabbed the keys in his back pocket, and locked him up.

Unamused by her semi-cleverness, he congratulated her by throwing his black blade in between the space of the bars aiming right for her forehead. Yang dived down just in time while the blade pierced the wall behind her.

She prayed that the cell had some kind of magic left to keep him contained long enough in order for her to create part two of her escape plan and to find the hidden hostages.

As she jolted up the stairs and looked back at the man in red watching her leave, he smirked and winked at her while twirling the other blade in his hand.

"Yeahhh... he's going to kill me when he gets out." A weak laugh escaped her throat and locked the door that led to the basement.

She turned around and found herself in a small kitchen with steel counters. She found her Ember Celica inside the top counter closest to the door. Then rushed and opened all drawers and cabinets, finding just enough ammunition to load up her weapons.

Yang was ready for battle, but still didn't know how to defeat the Devilish Man. She was fully aware of how dangerously skilled he was as a fighter. Just thinking about him made her blood boil.

"That ballsy little fucker.." she muttered furiously as she darted further away from the cellars, but came to a halt due to encountering some soldiers pointing their guns at her.

"Okayy... I guess I'll punch these guys until my brain comes up with something. Hopefully, before the real threat comes after me." She lifted her metal arm and made a fist.

"Out of the way if you don't wanna get hurt." She glared, but none of them moved. 

"Alright, you asked for it. I'll let my fighting do the talking then!!!"

After the soldiers chose to ignore her final warning, they began shooting at her from all directions.

Yang dodged while using her mechanic arm as a shield to block the bullets, and launched right after them. The poor souls became her punching bags and turned into flying rag dolls.

* * *

 

Hearing the pounding sounds from upstairs, the man in red had a genuine, smile on his face as he continued to remove the magical seals around the cell. Yang's punches and kicks were like music to his ears, especially when his flying minions made sounds of agony. He honestly found it funny. He already knew that they wouldn't stand a chance against her.

His cronies never dealt with someone that escaped... because most of the time, their prisoners never do. They knew better. Those that didn't would get killed on the spot for failing to cooperate, or for being a nuisance.

"What a very amusing woman. I guess I'll play along just a bit longer before I annihilate the brat."

He broke the door and grabbed his other blade that was waiting for him. He grabbed a chair, leaned back, and relaxed, as he listened to the mild chaos.

* * *

 

While strolling around the docks, the broken moon casted a bright gleam at the silver haired man who also heard the commotion coming from the big warehouse.

His mission originally took place in a different area in Vale, but Mercury liked to do things his own way nowadays. This time, he was working with Emerald and the police... but the loud battering noises were too tempting to ignore. They were practically calling his name, and the adrenaline flowing through his veins excited him because it meant that he could mess around.

Mercury didn’t mind showing off and becoming a better fighter than he already was. His confidence in his skills and quick, analytical thinking is what he was best known for. Who could blame him? He was a trained assassin after all. Whether he wanted to or not, it was the life he was born into.

After helping team RWBY defeat Salem, he began to obey the law and atone for his sins. 

His decision was definitely influenced by the fact that he and Emerald didn’t spend the rest of their lives in jail. Instead, their long life punishment involved writing multiple reports to Glynda Goodwitch and General Ironwood every month about their good services for society. 

Even though the reports were getting tedious, he continued to do it. Just like his mint haired friend who he honestly believed didn't need any of his help.

They fought beside each other for years, so he knew exactly what she was capable of.

"I'm sure Emerald wouldn't mind if I took a quick look. I think the authorities would also love to see who’s causing all this ruckus." Mercury's signature smirk formed across his face.

After finishing his third slice of pepperoni pizza with scrumptious cheesy crust, he headed towards the warehouse and broke in through the backdoor.

He shot energy blasts from his boots at the first 20 soldiers that were all caught by surprise. "Now this... will be entertaining," he declared and kicked four more in the gut that tried to sneak up behind him.

"Yup... definitely more fun than a boring, scavenger hunt."

He laughed with his hands behind his head, as he walked off to find more soldiers to play with.

 

 


	2. Rekindle

"That should be the last of them," dusting her hands in a satisfied manner. She stretched out her arms and patted one of the unconscious soldiers on the head. Then scurried off with a grin.

Yang finally reached the 7th floor of the warehouse, practically making the place look as if a tornado flew by.

She pushed the last two doors open as her eyes blinked in uncertainty and rubbed the nape of her neck. "I hope this is it. The room's pretty dark."

Yang came to the conclusion that the hidden captives were held in some form of vehicle since she already destroyed their ship. Therefore, they couldn't have gone too far.

She did her best to stay as quiet as possible, but the walls threw back the echoes of her fastened footsteps. At least the narrow window emitted a portion of moonlight to help her examine the surroundings.

The right side of the garage was filled with boxes labeled as either 'chains, ropes, dust, guns, gas'.

On the other side, it contained rows of...."TRUCKS!" Immediately she covered her mouth to suppress her enthusiasm and stopped in the middle of the room that separated the automobiles from the boxes of items.

At first, Yang felt compelled to destroy the trucks in a domino like effect to prevent them from being used. But a reminder registered in her brain saying that punching everything won't stop the organization from achieving their goals. Someone could also accidentally get hurt in the process if any captives were actually inside.

With no time to waste, Yang opened the back doors of each truck and knocked on a few to get a potential response. If she was lucky, maybe she would come across something about the organization's whereabouts.

 _Knock, knock_ – echoed from inside one of the trucks. 

She knocked on the next truck and opened another door. Nothing but hint of anxiety flowing through her mind.

 _Knock, knock, knock_ – Yang knew she was on the right track because the noises were growing louder by the second.

She began to run and re-loaded her weapons in preparation of a trap. Whatever the case, saving any abductees was her top priority.

 _Knock, knock, knock_. That was the final response, as Yang stood in front of the back door of the truck furthest away from the exit and the moon's gleam. She pointed her Ember Celica at the door, ready to open it with her other hand on the handle. She counted in her head, _1....2....3!!_

The door lifted, but Yang held back her fire seeing that it was empty. Slowly backing away and steadily walked towards the opposite side with both fists held near her face and in her fighting stance. She lowered her head and peaked, but no one was there either.

"Damn it. Where are you?" She said, putting her hands on her hips out of frustration. Then, Yang looked down at the floor for a second, and a fireball blasted her from above.

She jumped back from the blast and rolled behind another truck for cover, rubbing her eyes from the impact. She looked at the direction the assault came from but there was no one there. It was almost as if her assailant was a ghost.

Yang stepped forward into the light where only her lower half of her body was visible and back facing away from the trucks. If her attacker could only see her burning red eyes, it was obvious she was not in the mood to play hide and seek. Yang was running out of time.

The undercover aggressor happily took the kind gesture and jumped off one of the metallic shelves. Swiftly running towards her, Yang grabbed the aggressor's leg to prevent the forceful strike, but was too slow to block their other foot from kicking her in the jaw and fell back onto her side.

She immediately got up and started firing long ranged gunshots while chasing after the gliding, shadowy figure as they hopped over each truck.

More shots were fired to propel herself forward and Yang was right on their tail. She was so close to grabbing the masked nuisance, but the attacker front flipped off the last truck and vanished into the darkness.

Once landed on the same truck, Yang searched and sweat fell down the side of her face. Her opponent re-appeared from behind and sent a vigorous jump-kick to send Yang out of the door. Falling forward first, she fired to move her body in the opposite direction and grabbed the edge to pull herself back onto the truck. She tripped the assailant and punched them in the chest with her metal fist, hearing a painful groan from a man.

The moonlight vanished leaving an unsettling darkness closing in. Soon enough, both had to rely on their senses. Yang was able to adjust and detected his spinning legs and backflipped over him to avoid the attacks. He sent her a blast of ice shards, which made it hard for her to avoid. In response to his counterattack, she lunged forward to send a fierce kick at the enemy's gut with a gunshot of fire, followed by a punch on the side of their face.

He slammed onto the floor creating a loud thud to alarm any present captives to give Yang a sign if anyone else was around. She couldn't hear anything earlier due to the booming blasts. However, no knocks or sounds were made, meaning it was only her and the enemy.....alone. Yang jumped off and they both let their inhibitions fade.

She launched towards him and infuriatingly fired more blasts with no moment to spare. The antagonist did numerous flips to avoid her flying gunshots as his body ended being near the boxes of items. He threw one box of fire dust towards her, and sent a fireball to ignite the explosion at Yang's weary body.

She braced for the burning sensation and let out a groan. Yang had to get up, this was a life or death situation and forced herself to keep fighting. Even though her aura was depleted, their battle continued and sent series of mirrored attacks, gunshots, blocks, dodges and all.

Yang already knew she wasn't fighting Mr. Man in Red because her opponent's ranges of attacks were somewhat similar to hers, but he mostly liked to fight with his legs and deflected her attacks with his forearms.

 

_What the hell? Did the asshole seriously order one of his special ninjas to kill me? That coward!!_

 

She grunted as she hid under an already damaged truck to avoid the man's flying pellets of air.

He found her and shot more to make the truck go flying to the other side. Right when there was an opening, he sent her a triple kick of downwards strikes in the head and abdomen, as Yang's body banged back into the middle of their battlefield.

She got up and her lilac-colored eyes ignited so they were fiery, crimson red. She wiped the blood from the side of her mouth with her thumb and the drips of blood from the side of her head. _He's not a pushover alright. I like it._ She thought as she lunged after him.

Even with their expressions hidden, she could tell that the adrenaline and unforeseen attacks excited them. She knew that they shared the same mindset and refused to be defeated. They no longer showed any signs of mercy at this point due to it being a bounty mission after all.

Suddenly, the lights turned on and both of them paused – held in a pose.

Yang's metal fist was just about ready to deliver a devastating uppercut to his jaw...while the bottom of the man's boot was on top of her head, ready to project a downwards blow, a similar attack to hers. Both immediately froze in surprise, each raising an eyebrow as they assessed each others' faces. They got back into normal stance and took a step away from each other.

 

"Mercury?.." Yang gave a confused look in her eyes and some softness in her voice.

After an awkward moment of silence...she decided to break it as her eyebrows furrowed and her red eye color remained the same.

"MERCURY!!!! What are you doing here?!" She exclaimed and wanted answers.

 _Great..._ he rolled his eyes. He shrugged and ignored her question, but her foot was tapping nonstop, with her arms crossed tightly. Instead of giving her what she wanted, he walked towards her and put his face close to hers...probably too close for comfort.

"Long time, no see." He smirked. 

"I hope you missed me Blondie,” he said in a delighted, yet narcissistic tone. His smirk turned into a half genuine smile.

"Not at all." She tightened her fist and closed her eyes because she felt the heat rising in her cheeks. In response to his question, she sent a punch to the side of his face...or at least, that was the intention.

His hand caught her fist right before she could land it and pulled her into a tight embrace to keep her from escaping.

Yang couldn't help but blush, and she glanced aside so she wouldn't make eye contact. She honestly didn't know whether she should feel angry, or relieved even if she enjoyed his embrace. Yang was still sure that she felt some "fireworks" deep down though.

"I'll take that as a yes," Mercury tightened his grip even more and slowly pulled her even closer to him. She gave him an extremely annoyed expression trying to move him away from her with her legs.

"I hate you. You insufferable jackass!" She said with her mouth muffled in his jacket.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fully aware." He let out a half-suppressed laugh.

He admitted to himself how he truly enjoyed messing with her. It was a game they've been playing over the years that involved messing with the others' emotions, pride, and ego. Their natural rivalry just made things more fun and interesting.

While keeping her from escaping, he felt this strange, magnetic gratification between them lately whenever they crossed paths...along with another feeling that he couldn't explain. It was bothersome and he doubted that Yang would know any better.

 

 _Must be a phase or she rubbed some of her craziness on me_. He convinced himself.

 

The second he let her go, he tripped her, but caught her by the wrist before she could hit the ground and made a sly smirk.

"Fuck off." Yang gave him a death-stare so strong it could burn through his skull, but Mercury oddly liked it.

Before he could give his remark, slow claps echoed across the room. Yang and Mercury both looked to the left of them and the man in red was staring back while leaning against the wall by the door.

"Sorry, but am I interrupting something?" He said with a mischievous grin on his face.

"If so, that's too bad..." he glanced at Mercury.

"Goldilocks caused some unnecessary stress for my crew and delayed my shipments," he said calmly. "Including yourself...when you broke into the back door."

Mercury pulled Yang back up and their eyes were focused on the man in red without a word.

"It's a good a thing you got to see each other one last time. Because any friend of hers... is a friend of mine" The man in red made a golden bow appear in thin air, including a large, twisted designed blade. Sparks of electricity crackled throughout his sharp white blade, as he focused his aim and pulled his bowstring back.

"Maybe, you should have taken my offer while you had the chance" he glanced at Yang. "Oh well...like I said earlier, you chose your fate. You both did." The man in red then fired his blade. Its speed was as fast as a rocket and the sparks increased.

Mercury and Yang braced for the attack and were both struck by the demolished blow that left half of the garage standing.

The man in red made an appalling laugh and admired the fires and smoke of his destruction, while Yang and Mercury were nowhere to be seen.

He took out a remote hidden inside his sleeve and pressed the red button as the ceiling opened where a helicopter with his soldiers and terrified faces of hostages waiting for him.

The man in red looked up, as a ladder was sent down to fetch him. He grabbed it, and looked back once more to take in the rising smoke from the destroyed building with the fire reflective in his eyes.

"Cheers."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my friend SassyUnicorn7! Her fan fics inspired me to want write and express my love for G&G, so I advise that you read her fics too. Along with many others on here beause they're all amazing. <3
> 
> I might post the next two by next year or later b/c I got accepted into an accelerated nursing program :D
> 
> There's still a lot I have to cover and introduce in this story, but I'll be adding some music links for you guys to listen to in the notes. Look out for those, especially during some flashback scenes ;D. Idk how many chapters there will be but I'll admit that writing is fun. (:
> 
> Happy Holidays! <333


	3. Chosen and Classified

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I knew it... I have no doubt that you are Marcus Black's son."
> 
> ^ Have fun reading Chapter 3 ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of information unravel here. Especially towards the end. Enjoy! <3

The smoke from the devastating blow made fearful eyes stare down at the menacing man climbing up the ladder. His wicked smile indicated that he would happily "discipline" any others that would try to defy him.

Just like what he did to Yang and Mercury.

"Do you understand now my new followers? What I displayed back there was nothing, because I still contain many surprises." He threatened with his stone cold face.

The terrorized hostages nodded tearfully in agreement as his soldiers pulled him up.

"Excellent. Now we can head towards our destination." The man in red leaned against the door of the helicopter and looked down at the burning warehouse that was about to collapse.

Instead, a flying Mercury appeared out of the black smoke with an unconscious Yang in his arms. The man in red had an annoyed expression on his face. His eyes were locked on Mercury, observing him from afar.

Mercury landed on the rooftop that was closest to the fleeing helicopter. He carefully laid Yang's limp body on the floor and covered her with his jacket. Immediately he released energy blasts of dust, soaring faster than a fighter jet and grabbed the edge of the rope ladder. The man in red smirked because of Mercury's entertaining efforts and abilities.

"Bring me my hat," he announced to his soldiers. They did as they were told while keeping their guns pointed at the chained up hostages.

"Good work everyone. Keep it up and remember the plan. I need to investigate this pest because he has some _serious_ potential.." He securely placed his dark red bycocket on his head and gently stroked the golden feather on the side. Then summoned his black and white bowie blades and swiftly cut off the ladder.

Refusing to let them escape, Mercury shot more bursts to boost himself to the point where he was about to punch the man in the face, almost making his way inside.

The man in red scowled and declined having more delays. He threw himself at Mercury gashing his blades into his chest as the pull of gravity increased. They briefly fought in the air before crashing into the road creating a crater, then slowly rose back on their feet.

"How fortunate that you were able to postpone your death. Heck, you even managed to save your friend. You should have been content... but you still chose to pursue me. You were even lucky to survive my powerful attack from earlier."

The man in red's copper eyes lit up from excitement and he cracked his neck.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I wouldn't call that luck. I am just _naturally_  hard to kill." Mercury’s lip curved into a smirk and was ready to fight.

"If that's the case. Then this should be fun!"

The man in red abruptly appeared in front of Mercury to decapitate him. However, Mercury counter attacked and landed two mighty kicks with gusts of wind that hit perfectly at the man's jaw and neck, sending him flying backwards. But Mercury still got cut and injured on the side of his face.

The man in red stabbed his blades into the hard cement to slow down and stabilize his stance. He launched forward and spun rapidly as his swords pierced Mercury multiple times in his abdomen and upper thighs.

Mercury groaned and quickly flipped away to avoid the attacks. He responded by striking him downwards repeatedly to knock the blades out of his hands and even destroyed some in the process. 

However, the man in red would summon the same two blades in his hands, and was starting to conjure the swords faster than ever. He was even being a bit more cautious when he attacked back.

 _Shit. How many swords does this one guy need? If my hunch is right, he should be running out soon_. Mercury thought as he briskly performed a spinning breaker type move to send numerous flying air bullets at the assailant and confined him in a barrier.

The man in red dodged the air bullets and was slightly impressed by the man-made whirlwind revolving around him. He gripped his blades tightly, and closed his eyes. Instantly, Mercury sent dozens of blasts from the whirlwind to inflict his target, but the man in red deflected them with the radiating energy surrounding his blades.

Rejecting the thought of being defeated, every time Mercury sent a major blow, he would make sure to release more air dust from his boots to keep the whirlwind from diminishing.

"I guess you leave me no choice. At this rate, we'll continue to stay like this and I'm running out of copies. You're forcing me to reveal more than I would have liked..." The man in red discarded his two bowie blades and replaced them with a flaming katana.

He increased the size of the flame and sent three swipes to ignite all of the surrounding air pellets. Now the whirlwind Mercury created turned into a flaming vortex.

"This barrier still belongs to me." Mercury assured him.

He sent the blazing pellets to hit the man in red all at once, as to deliver a finishing blow. The vortex decreased in size and a giant scorching explosion resulted. The man in red was definitely injured, even though he remained standing and held his katana in front of him. Some parts of his clothes were burnt off, but the sword's flame overwhelmingly grew in size.

"That flame..." Mercury's eyes opened a bit more due to the realization of what just happened. 

 _His katana must have absorbed the flames from the vortex. The amount of air pellets that I surrounded him with overall... doubled its firepower. I screwed up._   Mercury tightened his fists and glared at the man in red.

"Based off that dumb look on your face, you've figured it out haven't you? Fire also increases to a certain amount of oxygen and there was an immense amount of air keeping me trapped inside. I had no choice but to project a different weapon of mine and use another strategy."

"And you realized that I was going to end you with a finalized attack with the new scorching vortex you made... How thoughtful of you." Mercury ridiculed.

"Controlling the direction of air dust that's released from your boots seems to be your semblance... or are you just very good at aiming? Don't feel too disappointed that you didn't knock me out. I created that burning vortex for a _different_ reason.." The man in red grinned.

Mercury shrugged and without warning, he ejected dust where there were standing and vanished in the thickened smoke. The man in red was on defense and raised an eyebrow. In a flash, Mercury emerged from above and shot a devastating air strike at the katana's flame, causing it to explode at the man in red's face.

He was pushed back by the ignition and was hit with a barrage of kicks in the gut. Then crashed into a brick wall and his blurred eyes re-adjusted. The man in red coughed out blood and made a grim expression as he discarded his katana.

"I knew it... I have no doubt that you are Marcus Black's son."

 

Mercury stopped his incoming blow when he heard his father's name. His steel gray eyes dimmed and glared intensely at the man in red.

 

"And what makes you say that?"

 

"It's quite obvious. The way you think and the way you fight. You're just like him. It suites your class too... in this new game of chess." The man in red glared back with amusement in his eyes.

 

"Cut the bullshit. I won't be associated with my dad's affairs. If you had any issues with him...he's already rotting in hell, where he belongs."

 

"Is that so? Then you definitely have been chosen... Not by me of course. I can see why this type of war would suite someone like you."

 

Mercury tried to keep his composure but he slowly grew more irritated. He grabbed the man in red by the collar and lifted him off the ground. The man in red raised his hands up, almost as if he was surrendering.

 

"Poor, poor, little boy. I researched about your father's reputation for years now and found so little of your family history. I was also chosen to be a part of this event... It's only natural to find some useful information about my potential enemies that are bound to kill me." He rolled back his shoulders and smirked.

 

"Get to the point, before I beat you to a pulp and drag your lifeless corpse to the authorities. I don't care about this 'new game of chess'... But I do care about who chooses to be a part of this event. Who chose us exactly? The god of assholes?" Mercury scoffed.

 

"I don't blame you for not believing a word I say, but let me prove it to you."

 

Mercury's eyebrows furrowed and the man's smirk grew even more.

 

"Your father's art of killing, was well known and inspired many immoral people in certain areas of Remnant. Why do you think many hired him? You _are_ his one and only child. This is a war _only_ for those that have been tainted with blood. Corrupted, some form of selfish desires, and performed a good amount of bad decisions overtime that caused thousands to suffer.

Along with other similar traits that we chosen ones share, but I am not so sure of. I only know the basics. I'm sure some of these statements applies to you...doesn't it?"

"Shut up. You know nothing about me or the reasons for my actions. The past stays where it belongs. I've been punished for them. I am also continuing to work and fix the damage that I have caused. Forever... if necessary." Mercury looked aside and tightened his grip on the man's collar.

"That doesn't mean the past and your inner demons won't come back to haunt you. Not every mistake can be fixed or atoned. Take this war as your final consequence or look at it as a blessing. Your existence is ironic honestly. Your father must be laughing hysterically right now, knowing that he was most likely training you to become a mere tool for a war that he couldn't even fight. If you still choose not to believe me...look at this, you jackass."

The man in red punched Mercury at the side of his face to be released. Then he pulled down the collar of his black body armor to show him a glowing number 6, located beneath his clavicle.

"The higher power classed me as one of the honorable seven and I am known as... Archer. You will call me that from now on, because I doubt you will ever discover my true identity." Archer proclaimed, but Mercury was more focused on who this 'higher power' was and stared at the floor.

 

"I can see that you're mind is focused elsewhere." _Maybe this will catch his attention._ He thought with that same smug on his face.

 

"I have no doubt about your specific class, Mercury Black. You are the last chess piece to officially start the event. You are, 'lucky number' 7. It suites you perfectly...

                                                           

                                                                                                     Assassin."

 

Archer's atrocious laughter echoed across the silent town and throughout the docks.

 

"You're either bluffing or the information must be a hoax. I don't have a mark on my body." Mercury muttered.

 

"Are you sure? Why don't you check your shoulder first." Archer dared him to look.

 

Mercury slowly lowered his eyes and his right shoulder illuminated a white light, with the number 7 on it. Anxiety grew in his mind.

 

His eyes remained fixated on the number imprinted on his body. He wouldn't have cared as much if he was fighting a war of his own free will... but it was because of his father's dishonorable reputation as a murderer. Not just him, but his entire family bloodline.

 

The consequences of his actions caught up with him. Mercury had no choice but to accept the bitter taste of karma.

 

"Good thing you surpassed your father. That means you're a lot stronger and lack sympathy... He taught you well. Your chances of being a candidate must have increased because of that. Along with the fall of Beacon. Then it increased even more when you chose to help Salem in the previous war. You're a survivor Mercury. I believe you'll manage to stay alive for awhile in this war as well." Archer could tell that his taunting was causing Mercury's cool demeanor to melt.

"I want out. I have goals to achieve and killing sure isn't one of them. That was out of the question a long time ago." Mercury announced sternly.

"I see, 6 years is a long time to atone for one's sins. It's no problem for me if you don't want to participate. Since it's been confirmed, stand still... so I can kill you and get my wishes granted!" His two blades appeared and stabbed Mercury repeatedly in the stomach.

Mercury was caught by surprise and fell on the floor while coughing out blood. His aura finally depleted and the number 7 glowing on his shoulder was blinking, and started to fade. 

Archer lifted him by the neck tightening his grip. Then pointed his white blade ready to pierce Mercury's heart.

"Tell your father that I said thank you, for failing to inform his son about a war that he was destined to die in. You'll be the first to go, as I continue to look for the others who will meet this same fate. I guess you're not that hard to kill after all. Giving you some information about the war was a small prize from my part for being a good sport. I think this is one of the few times I showed signs of empathy... and it's been a long time. Now begone, you poor, miserable soul."

Archer slowly deepened his blade in the area where Mercury's heart was located. He admired his restraint expression of agony and continued to give him a slow and painful death. Mercury was punching and kicking Archer furiously to release him, but he was losing air from being strangled. Getting hit only motivated Archer even more to kill him as his sadistic expression watched Mercury suffer.

 

"Die like an assassin and be silent. Its not like anyone would care that you're gone." Archer whispered and pressed his sword even more into Mercury's chest and lessened his grip to let him breathe and shout in pain.

 

In an instant, vastly long ranged gunshots hit Archer's arms and legs from above. While numerous neon green energy bullets fired from the left side.

Archer released Mercury and flipped back from the blasts. When the smoke from the blows diminished, he saw Yang carrying Mercury on her back and sprung away from rooftop to rooftop.

"Damn you, stupid Goldilocks!" Archer ran after her and did a major leap where he was right above them. He decapitated them both in two swipes... only to find himself slicing a false image and landed on the ground in confusion.

Emerald slashed him from behind and her dark red eyes glared into his copper ones.

"I wouldn't try anything funny...because you'll end up bleeding more than Mercury is right now. You even caused me to do some extra work and go overtime." She threatened arrogantly and pointed at his green helicopter that landed on a rooftop at the opposite side of where they were standing.

Policemen and special operatives were tying up Archer's henchmen and releasing hostages as more police cars, fire trucks, and emergency trucks showed up. Just in time, Yang reached the authorities and quickly laid Mercury inside the helicopter and they started to lift off.

The unexpected company filled Archer’s eyes with aggravation as he watched his own helicopter get hijacked. He was even more annoyed by seeing a worried Yang aiding a motionless Mercury. She securely placed her coat on his chest to lessen the amount of blood loss and held him close. Then the door closed and the helicopter flew out of sight.

"You're coming with me." Emerald held up the cuffs Archer used on his hostages. He slowly backed up and stared at the edge of the building with no place to go other than going up or down.

"I'm afraid I can't sweetheart. I still have a lot of work to do, so this will be my final trick for tonight." He smirked and made a claymore sword appear, stabbing it onto the floor as it emitted sleeping gas.

Emerald covered her mouth and nose, while leaping forward into the heavy smoke searching for Archer. She jumped onto the next rooftop and hazily saw Archer up in the air escaping. Emerald shot more energy blasts but kept missing because she inhaled some of the sleeping gas. Other operatives quickly came to her aid and took care of the half fallen asleep Emerald, while some special operatives shot and went after the leaping Archer that continued to stay in the air.

"Until we meet again." Archer saluted and smirked as he blocked the flying bullets with his claymore. Then he swiped his sword in the shape of a cross, releasing smokescreen.

The special operatives continued to shoot and launched themselves into the smokescreen. Once the smoke cleared up, Archer was gone. As the morning sun rose… everyone left with dread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that took the time to read my very first fan fiction. I write for fun and to relieve some stress. xD. 
> 
> I hope that you'll all have a fantastic New Year! May more G&G fan fictions arise in 2018! :D
> 
> All kudos and positive comments are highly appreciated and truly touch my heart. Have a good one guys <3\. May next year be a joyous one. (:


	4. Bedroom Brawl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING* there's a graphic sex scene. One reason why the chapter is long. (Sorry about that)
> 
> If you can handle the heat, read away! ;) It might end up being one of your guilty pleasures. If u choose to skip the bedroom brawl, read until you see the ~*~*~*~*~*~ marks because that's where it starts. Then scroll away until the flashback ends, leading back to the hospital. Enjoy! <3

"I _really_...don't like you," Yang muttered, lying on the ground exhausted. She lost to Mercury again after their fourth sparring match.

 

"And your stubbornness is impeccable." He stared into her fuming red eyes with his ominous gray ones.

 

"Look on the bright side, I think our scores are almost tied up. Not too bad based on the random times I've seen you." Mercury said with a growing smirk.

 

"Yeah, but I'll never quit until I show you who's boss." She said while getting up and brushing the dirt off her clothes.

 

"I admire your optimism, but I think it's time to throw in the towel. If you haven't noticed by now, I usually end up winning. Strangely, even in the activities that _you_ chose." Mercury teased.

 

Yang sneered at his comment and already knew how to poke fun at him.

 

"Oh please. I'll do anything to wipe that stupid grin off your face... If you were a pushover, I couldn't exactly call you my rival, but more of a nuisance. Since you won, let me give you a prize." Yang slowly walked towards him with a mischievous grin.

 

Mercury arched an eyebrow and backed away. Due to his past experiences, he assumed that his _prize_ was going to be a point blank sucker punch of death, and was prepared to dodge.

 

Instead, Yang caressed his face. Their lips were practically about to meet and Mercury didn't move an inch. At the last second, she flicked his forehead so hard that an intense amount of chills and pain surged throughout his body. Based on his distorted face, he looked more affected by that flick than any of her punches. She laughed hysterically and the humiliation from losing didn't matter anymore. She earned herself a point on their "Yang vs. Mercury" scoreboard.

 

"You're truly something, aren't you blondie? I might have deserved that, but I'll say this only once. You've gotten better as a fighter, but you need to control your damn petty attitude! Maybe I wouldn't embarrass you as much if you held back your "OBLITERATE-Mercury's-Face REFLEX." He said harshly.

 

She rubbed the nape of her neck and made a weak guilty laugh as she watched him massage his forehead. Yang finally nodded in agreement and flashed him a light smile.

 

"Sure thing...if you can stop being an asshole whenever we get to see each other. Especially if it involves missions or work."

 

"Being a douche is in my DNA. I can handle your other request as long as you do your part, and _maybe_ , I'll tone it down a little. By the way... I'm forced to go to Patch tonight and visit."

 

"Wait, why?!" Yang asked, shaking his arm aggressively to get some answers but Mercury shrugged. "Oh.." was her only response.

 

She guessed it had to deal with Emerald. Ruby became so fond of her after the war ended. She grew to like her and was extremely understanding after learning about her past. Ruby forgave her, including Mercury. She gave her the proper love that she never received, starting as nothing more than friends. As the months flew by, their relationship grew into something more. Eventually, Mercury got dragged along to hang out and the four of them got along fairly well... until Yang and Mercury's rivalry ignited once again and both were determined to beat the other at anything and everything.

 

"Ahh... Well that makes sense." Yang looked at Mercury and concluded that Ruby was finally going to admit that Emerald was her girlfriend. It shouldn't be a problem because their dad and Qrow grew to like her. A lot more than Mercury at least.

 

"Will you be there?" He asked nonchalantly.

 

"I definitely would, but Blake asked me to take care of the apartment tonight. She's going on a romantic date with Sun and said that I haven't been home as much to help out with the chores. I couldn't say no. She seemed so excited and it was extremely cute when _Sun_ planned the entire thing out. So basically, you're on your own... and I'll be cleaning at my place."

 

Her eyes began to wander and saw the two robbers they captured trying to roll away.

 

"I see." Mercury stomped his foot on top of the pathetic criminals. He tightened the rope and threw them onto the back of Yang's motorcycle. Then he thought promptly and looked over. "Want me to join you?"

 

Yang blinked and put her hands on her hips as if she already knew his intentions.

 

"Look, I only asked so you'll be done faster... and I'm getting tired of Qrow and Taiyang glaring at me whenever I'm around. They always look like they're ready to strike me down, but everyone loves Emerald now so...do you get my drift?"

 

"Yeah, but can you blame them? You have a cocky attitude and can't hold back your tongue when you're supposed to. Its obvious you think you're the shit, and that's why it seems like they're planning your funeral."

 

"True, but I was never really good with parents. Especially dads." Mercury scoffed and looked like he had a brief, disturbing flashback.

 

Yang had an unusual feeling in her chest. Emerald was more open when it came to talking about her past. However, Mercury was not. She then wrapped her arm around him for support and comfort.

 

He looked over and noticed the concern in her eyes. He found it odd because it was an expression he was not quite used to. He grabbed her wrist and put his face close to hers, producing another smirk.

 

Any thoughts of concern she had disappeared, and she formed one his favorite expressions of irritation. _Now that look suites her better. When it comes to us, at least._ He chuckled and released her.

 

"Anyway, I'm sure after Ruby's announcement, your dad and uncle might make some ridiculous assumptions. I only said yes on going because Emerald's nervous... and to gain some extra points by crushing you in one your favorite games." That dumb smug look she hated came back.

 

 _Shit!! The negative energy and awkwardness might ruin Ruby and Emerald's special moment. If I'm not there, I can't restrain the three idiots from fighting each other. The smartass is right. I guess, I have no choice._ She sighed heavily and walked over to her motorcycle to turn on the engine.

 

"Fine. But you ARE helping me clean... and you'll never beat me at playing World of Remnant!!" Yang declared as she tied the criminals securely.

 

"Yeah, I'll help you clean... but no promises if something else happens after" he whispered in her ear.

 

She shot him a piercing, fiery glare, and he responded by laughing. He found it truly entertaining to see her put so much effort into making new angry expressions made just for him. Even if it had malicious intent, he couldn't help but feel special.

 

"I don't know how Emerald deals with you," Yang put on her sunglasses and the engine roared, ready to take off.

 

"She's a trooper alright. Also, don't forget that we're splitting the money in half. I knocked out the two dumbasses first. Looks like I won again when it comes to sparring. That's two more points for me Blondie. You seriously need to catch up." She was about to kick him in the gut for the unnecessary reminder but he already darted off before she could.

 

"Mercury... you jerk!!" Yang yelled in aggravation. Then exhaled to release her anger. "Try not to fall off boys," she stepped on the gas pedal and sped off at 85 mph.

 

  **\- Later at Yang's apartment -**

 

"Hey blondie, I finished washing the dishes and threw out all the trash." Mercury called out but Yang was still vacuuming.

 

He wasn't surprised that she wasn't finished. Since he did his part, he observed the newly fresh apartment. It was medium sized and provided exactly what two roommates would need. It even had a decent amount of open space, which was the living room. The walls were a pale yellow, decorated with paintings of different types of flowers, bright orange sunsets, or of the fractured moon. The place also had a lot of bookshelves and he couldn't help but notice the piles of organized books that surrounded the TV.

 

The apartment definitely screamed that Yang and Blake owned the place. He even felt that _'cozy and welcoming_ ' vibe. Something he and Emerald didn't experience while growing up, but only got a glimpse of it when they occasionally dropped by at Yang and Ruby's log cabin.

 

His attention subsided once the vacuum turned off. He watched Yang drag it into Blake's room and she laid down on the comfy charcoal colored couch and hugged a fury white pillow.

 

"Tired already? All you did was vacuum," Mercury pointed out.

 

"Actually, I also did the laundry and folded the giant load of clothes. Then dusted the entire place while you were throwing away all the bags of garbage. The only thing I didn't do, is make us some food." Yang's growling stomach proved her point. 

 

"I'll order us some pizza. Can you grab my scroll?" She pointed at it charging against the wall, next to the tall black lampshade. Mercury grabbed her scroll and waved it above her face. Every time Yang reached for it, he would purposely throw her around and do random tricks as she struggled to take it back.

 

"Merc! I'm starving! Cut it out, before I end up eating you!!" She got up and stuck her hand out as her stomach made another growl.

 

"Eat me? Since you're so hungry, go right ahead." Mercury removed his silver tee and he could tell that Yang liked what she saw. It was obvious because she hid her eyes with her bangs and her cheeks were pinkish red.

 

Eventually her eyes surveyed his defined abs, his V-line, broad shoulders, and muscular arms. Mercury found her reaction absolutely silly and cupped her chin with his fingers, taking in every detail of that semi-innocent look of hers. Yang could tell that his pride and ego were rocketing sky high. Infuriated that he did this on purpose to get back at her from earlier, she tackled him and pinned him onto the floor. She quickly grabbed her scroll out of his hand, pressed on speed dial, and put it on speaker.

 

"Hi! I would like to order 2 boxes of pepperoni pizza with cheesy crust please. Ok, deliver it to the address under Yang Xiao Long. Thanks!" She hung up and laughed at Mercury's frustration.

 

She continued to lay on him and slowly released his wrists. Right when she did, he flipped her over and put his entire body weight on her to prevent her from getting away. He stared intensely into her lilac colored irises and whispered in a low sensual tone. 

 

His lips brushed against her ear and said, "I think... you should be disciplined for playing with my emotions today. This entire year actually. I know that you love playing games as much as I do... is that why your heart is racing abnormally faster than usual?"

 

"Do you like the idea of me dominating you?" He smirked.

 

Yang's cheeks were flushed and finally freed her arms from his chest. Instantly, he pinned her down hard on the floor and made a sly grin.

 

 _That stupid look and smirk of his again. I despise it. Yet, I don't know why I also grew to... like it. He's incredibly annoying, so why?_ Her mind was accumulated with contradictions and confusing thoughts. She avoided his gaze and just wanted her heart to calm the fuck down.

 

"I know that you're hungry and tired from cleaning all day. So, let me wake you up... Yang."

 

Suddenly, she felt his warm lips kissing her deeply. Her eyes opened wide from feeling a flare of sparks. That was the last thing she would expect to feel from a jackass like him. Her mind convinced herself to ignore the warmth and fireworks. He simply caught her off guard, but for some reason, the kiss felt genuine. In that same moment... their little game was put on pause.

 

When he pulled back, her lips were tingling and she had a thirst for more. That flare she felt was in deed a combination of lust and maybe, a partial hint of genuine love. She guessed it was mostly desire, since Mercury didn't seem the type that would want to love anyone. He would most likely disappear on her if he was able to hear her thoughts towards him right now.

 

Mercury was always good at creating shitstorms, and he definitely left her feeling puzzled. She scolded herself harshly in her head and felt that she should have been more prepared before dealing with another egotistical heartbreaker.

 

It _was_ Mercury after all, and he knew that she was equally as much as a heartbreaker herself. They learned quite a bit about each other overtime. Even though they usually expressed their feelings towards each other through kicks and punches or random competitions. He won this round.

 

She let out a sigh and grabbed his face. She observed him and his eyes looked just as bothered and distracted. As if, he was also surprised. Maybe he felt something too? Yang wondered but tried not to make assumptions. She cleared her throat and allured him with her eyes, then whispered, "Wanna play a game? Maybe another brawl or a rematch?" Yang gave him a sly smirk of her own.

 

Mercury blinked, but quickly caught on and was impressed by her suggestion. "I had a feeling you were into that kinky shit. Is that one of the reasons why you bailed me out of jail? If I knew sooner, all you had to do was ask." A partially sadistic smile formed across his face.

 

"No, you sadomasochist. I didn't help bail you out because of pettiness or revenge. I seriously didn't want you guys to get hurt... I'll admit that I still don't like you at times, but I'm not heartless." Yang scoffed.

 

"I guess there's some truth to that, but I've noticed that there has been some _sexual_ tension between us in these past few months. Were you equally as frustrated as I was? I'm not exactly a masochist. I just feel pleased when I see your sweet, lilac eyes turn scarlet red. I can't help messing with you, but I guess I do it a bit too much... and I strangely like it. If my gut is right, I think you secretly like it too. You're probably going to end up becoming a masochist by the end of today. If you know what I mean." Mercury proclaimed as he began to undress her.

 

"Like I said, I'm not a quitter. I'll wipe that stupid, sadist look off your face with whips and chains... Then I'll make you call me sir!" He chuckled and kissed her burning cheeks.

 

"Back out now, before I make you submit to me in ways that no one else has. I'm not like the other guys you dealt with Yang. I don't do this with other women very often, probably because I _may_ have been a bit too hard on them. I might go easy on you for now, but I can guarantee that you'll be left with some bruises and bite marks." He gently kissed the side of her mouth.

 

"I don't know how experienced you are when it comes to BDSM. But based on how competitive we both are... I'm sure that you'll do you're best to be the dominant one. However, I'll be the one to introduce you to our bedroom brawl." Mercury asserted.

 

Yang felt intrigued but also knew that his taunting was due to arrogance. She was always in charge when it came to sex. Not too many guys impressed her or satisfied her enough during rough sexual intercourse. Even during the few times she did do some light BDSM with a selective few, they failed her expectations. However, her gut was saying that she was going to lose this bedroom brawl and it infuriated her. She tightened her jaw and thought carefully about her decision.

 

"Did I earn an extra point blondie? I'll release you now, before the pizza guy shows up." His smirk disappeared and unpinned her wrists.

 

"Shut up and kiss me." Yang demanded.

 

"Oh? You must have it bad for me or feel determined to actually agree to do this. Very well then, I'll respect your boundaries, so do your best." Mercury grinned and kissed her once more.

 

He carried her into her room and she surrendered to his kiss and reciprocated by giving him a passionate one in return. During their makeout session, Yang noticed something different as their soft, wet lips collided and their heavy breathing became audible. The flare of sparks was still there, but this time, she could feel his heart racing as well.

                                                ~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
The brawl began as they immediately slammed each other against the walls and aggressively flipped each other over, pinning their wrists onto every surface and knocking things over. Their lips remained locked while their tongues enjoyed the sweet taste of each other’s mouths. However, the fight for dominance didn't stop.

 

Mercury had enough of Yang's motivated attitude as he was currently backed against her drawer. He was impressed, but had no intention of losing. He tripped her off balance and threw her onto the bed with his body on top, preventing her from leaving. Yang noticed the yearning in his eyes, and he could see that she felt the same. She never blushed this much in her life. Then her heart began to beat faster, just as much as his.

 

She pulled him down and sunk her teeth into the side of his neck and kissed the bite mark she gave him. He flinched at first, but chuckled right after and the rush of blood flowed throughout his body. "I told you that you wanted me..." Mercury smiled as he kept her wrists tightly above her head with his right hand. He pressed her body even more against the steel headboard and slowly waved the red fluffy handcuffs in her face.

 

"Where did you find that?" She asked jokingly as she was about to flip him over with her legs wrapped around his waist and declare her dominance.

 

"I found them on the floor, laying next to the bed when we were thrashing the place. I guess that's where you keep your toys." He smirked and lifted her lower body up. Then he smacked her ass, leaving his handprint and firmly grabbed her left glute and massaged it. Yang bit her lip to suppress her moan and pain.

 

"Now be a good girl, while your master gives you _exactly_ what you deserve." He swiftly cuffed her to the two polls at the opposite ends of her headboard and locked them. Yang began to yank the cuffs, but the ones she bought were filled with magic and found it almost useless because she didn't want to break her new headboard. If she did, she'll just end up knocking Mercury out with it and waste a shit ton. In her head, she slowly accepted being the slave and her role as the submissive one.

 

Mercury's smirk was incredibly wide and enjoyed the view of her feeling helpless with her arms spread out. He especially enjoyed staring at her large breasts, even though they were still covered by a yellow-laced bra.

 

Instead of immediately ripping her bra off, he kissed her forehead and flashed her a slight smile as he rubbed his firm pectoral muscles against her chest. He could feel her nipples harden and their hearts raced even more due to excitement and arousal. He looked down at her, expecting a smile, but Yang gave him an aggravated pout and growl.

 

He grabbed her chin so she could gaze upon him to give her a kiss in order for her to forgive him for winning... but she head butted him as a way of congratulating him.

 

"You really don't like your new role huh? This must be your first time then." He massaged his forehead and threw the key for the cuffs out the door. He tore off her bra and took a good look at her perky tits. _Nice. I'll take good care of those later._ He thought.

 

"Don't underestimate me, you'll regret it." She warned.

 

"It's a bit too late for that. Accept your defeat and prepare for a new, ecstatic experience. I'll take good care of you, trust me." After his statement, he got off her and checked under the bed and found exactly what he wanted.

 

"Now tell me... are you afraid of the dark?" He held up a black blindfold and Yang slowly nodded no.

 

"Good, I'll make sure that you'll forget about your hunger and not being able to see will heighten your senses and pleasure. We're going to have some fun now..." He tied the blindfold securely over her eyes. "Let's begin."

 

She heard him unzip his fly and the sound of fallen clothes. She could feel him kissing, licking, and massaging her thighs with his warm hands. Then he focused his kissing on her inner thighs and strongly bit the area closest to her crotch, leaving a mark. He repeated this process, covering the majority of her defined legs with bite marks until he pulled her thong off.

 

Not being able to see definitely made her body sensitive to pain, but also felt more aroused. She was already wet and moaned with pain and pleasure every time he sunk his teeth deeply on multiple areas on her body. However, this was only the beginning. She felt his body resting on top of hers and she was kissed warmly. During their makeout session, he groped her breast and squeezed it a lot harder than most of her past sex partners did.

 

After Mercury was done fondling her tits, his tongue licked around her light pink nipple. Then he began to aggressively suck her tit and bit hard enough to make her whimper with pleasure, causing her to raise her body up from the intensity. Amused by her reaction, he did it again on her other breast. Yang panted heavily and desperately wanted to grab his head. He softly kissed her irritated nipples and kissed around her chest area. He grabbed his erect, seven inch dick, and was ready to put himself inside her.

 

"You're extremely frustrated I see," he chuckled. "I am too...so scream for me and say my name." He whispered and playfully rubbed the head of his cock against her clit and around her labia.

 

"Make me." She dared as the chains from her cuffs clanged because she desperately wanted to touch him, bite him, and see his face.

 

"Thought you'd never ask," he smirked and immediately shoved himself inside her. Yang let out a loud moan. He thrusted fast, hard, and rhythmically as Yang's hips matched with his. He pressed his mouth against hers, sucking her tongue.

 

When he removed his mouth to let her breathe and moan out short cries, Yang's gratifying sounds and trembling lips were evident enough that she wanted him to come back. Mercury saw no problem with it, so he kissed her passionately for being a good girl. However, Yang bit his lower lip to also make him bleed and sucked his tongue as he continued to fuck the shit out of her. Her musical moans vibrated in his mouth, causing his speed to increase as drips of sweat fell off their bodies. Then he slowly pulled himself away from her.

 

Once again, he admired the view of his bite marks from her legs to the side of her neck. He raised her legs above her head and inserted two fingers inside her vagina, fingering her until he found her g-spot.

 

"Your cries of pleasure and pain definitely turn me on, but you still refuse to say my name...If you don't yell out what I want soon. You already know what's next since bite marks aren't cutting it.." Mercury warned. She stayed silent due to her stubbornness. However, she was impressed by how satisfied she felt but didn't want to admit it.

 

Without warning, he rammed himself back into her wet pussy and fucked her g-spot just like he planned. He played with her clit as he continued to thrust harder and harder. He made every movement count because he enjoyed hearing her curse at him while holding her trembling body.

 

"F-fuck you, M-Mercury," she managed to let that escape her throat.

 

"I like you too Blondie," he chuckled and kept going. "I want you to shout out my name, not struggle to say it." He laid her body down and went to go get the key. Yang heard him grab something under the bed and her wrists were momentarily free but were held by Mercury's strong hands. He turned her body around on the bed, now laying on her stomach and he held her arms behind her back, locking the cuffs. "Ass up. Face down." He commanded.

 

She tightened her jaw and did as she was told. She knew that their brawl was going to end here, because this was one of her favorite positions. He pulled her hair towards him so she would arch her back and pushed himself back inside and began where they left off. The only difference is he smacked her ass hard with a black paddle. Yang's legs became weak and Mercury smirked. He felt the contractions around his cock, knowing that she was about to orgasm in a matter of minutes.

 

Next he grabbed a tasseled whip, and mildly struck her lower back with it. Yang moaned louder than ever and that motivated him to fuck her even harder. He whipped her once more, and her body laid on the bed and he continued to thrust. He pulled her a bit more, kissed her left cheek and whispered seductively, "Go ahead, say it." His rhythm came to a halt.

 

"Fuck me harder, Mercury." Yang pleaded and made a breathy moan. Every sound she made was music to his ears, so he sent her a forceful thrust as an award. "Louder," he smacked her ass and groped it.

 

"I want it! M-Mercury!" He smirked and began thrusting at a normal speed. "Once more, submit, Yang." He bit the other side of her neck and kissed it softly.

 

"Yes Merc!! I w-want it badly!! Mercury!" She finally screamed. He smiled from victory and rubbed her clit in a fast pace and roughly fucked her senseless. They're breathing was heavy and even he began to curse as he quickly unlocked her wrists. Yang came and her contractions caused Mercury to cum inside her. He rested on top of her, and they both waited for the amazing release of ecstasy to die down. Their hearts were finally at a normal rhythm and he removed her blindfold.

 

Yang looked over at him with satisfied, tired eyes and he had the same look on his face. They briefly chuckled as he slowly pulled himself out of her and the oxytocin kicked in. Yang lightly punched his arm because she felt extremely vulnerable and oddly wanted to be close to him. He always found her responses towards him reckless and absurd, but this time, he didn't mind. He wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to rest on his chest and closed his eyes, while resting his chin on the top of her head. She didn't expect that and definitely didn't have the energy to ask. They cuddled and felt very content.

 

"That was your first euphoric dream as being the submissive one... wasn't it blondie?" He pulled her closer and her cheeks became redder than usual. She couldn't help it and felt like an idiot.

 

She shrugged and mumbled, "I never found a guy that actually knew what he was doing. So being in charge made things easier."

 

"That's interesting. Now that you trust me, I'll be in control from now on... unless you want to redeem yourself some other time?" His smug appeared and she rolled her eyes.

 

"Not funny, but I won't reject your offer either. I'll win next time." She forced him to open one eye and gave him a genuine smile, while he kept his smug.

 

"You're on birth control right?" He asked as he played with her hair. 

 

"Yup. Not planning on having kids any time soon. Why?"

 

"Just asking. I'm a bit poor right now and can't provide child support." He responded in a relaxed tone.

 

"That's obvious because you spend your money on too many comic books. Wanna go and shower now?" She asked as she kissed his neck and chest.

 

"Did you want more?" He smirked.

 

"Mercury, I'm covered in bite marks. You're coming with me because it's unfair that you only have two."

 

"True... but that reminds me. I forgot to leave some bruises on you." He pinned her down and went for her chest. Yang didn't feel any pain though, she felt aroused more than anything. She looked down and he left hickeys on her breasts.

 

She felt dumbfounded and laughed. "Hickeys huh?"

 

"Yup. I decided to go a bit easy on you, so these will do." He formed another one on her neck and she gave him one in return. As they continued to wrestle each other to give each other bruises, Mercury picked her up, and headed for the shower.

 

"I guess we'll be ending things here," he pressed her against the wall.

 

"Actually... This is round two, for me at least." She turned on the shower with her foot and made the water ice cold. Mercury jumped from the freezing water that ran down his back and Yang pinned him hard this time, with double the determination.

 

"It's my turn to leave you with some bite marks and bruises." She gave him a sweet kiss and nibbled on his ear. He was dissatisfied by her actions and she laughed because of his annoyed expression. "Well?" Yang waited for his response.

 

"Fine. Just make the water hot and I get to soap your tits."

 

"You really like my boobs don't you?"

 

"Yeah. Probably as much as when you're mad at me." He smirked. "Go ahead blondie. I'll be leaving some more marks and bruises on you as well."

 

"Deal." They smiled and held each other close as they began to sink their teeth into each others' flesh, leaving devoted marks and kisses.

 

As they remained focused on each other and the water ran, the doorbell rang multiple times with someone standing outside.

"Hey!! Pizza's here!" The pizza guy sighed.

 

* * *

 "The operation went smoothly. He's going to be alright," the doctor confirmed one last time.

 

"We checked his heart and stitched him right up to stop the blood from leaking. However, he will be left with a scar. All of his systems are functioning normally so he should be waking up soon, Ms. Xiao Long." The doctor put his hand on her shoulder and the nurse held her hands to give her extra reassurance.

 

"I'm sorry for asking the same question over and over. I just wanted to make sure." She looked back at the sleeping Mercury that had a medium sized scar in the shape of an X on his right pectoral. The number 7 remained on his shoulder, but was no longer glowing. He seemed to be in a serious coma, so she couldn't help but worry.

 

"It's perfectly normal to be concerned about the well being of your loved ones." The nurse nodded in agreement right after the doctor's statement.

 

"It is New Year's Eve and having your boyfriend at the hospital isn't exactly how most people would want to spend it-" The nurse was cut off after the doctor nudged her to be silent.

 

Yang's eye twitched but kept her smile big and wide. "He's not my boyfriend. He's something else entirely... but _definitely_ not that." She assured.

 

They both gave her a nod, even though they could see right through her and how she was obviously denying some of her feelings.

 

"I guess you just really care about him. We'll extend your visiting hours and you can stay here for as long as you wish. I'm good friends with your uncle and it's still the holidays." He lightly tittered.

 

"Thank you Dr. Stein. I appreciate it." The doctor and nurse smiled and they walked off, quietly closing the door.

 

Yang sat in the chair next to Mercury's bed and rested her head against the window. She gazed at the stars and surprisingly, a shooting star flown by. She quickly closed her eyes tightly and clasped her hands together. A few minutes later, she opened them, and silently waited for Mercury to wake up... hopefully before New Year's Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the first sign of their realization of being...TWIN FLAME SOULMATES \\(^_^)/ !!! Yes, it's a real thing lol.
> 
> ** Stage 1 of Yang and Mercury's (almost hopeless) love story: Interest, Yearning, Confusion **
> 
>    
> Song - Nightcore Bruises and Bitemarks  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoWK5WgafPU
> 
>    
> Thanks for reading! Especially to those that read the entire thing. The eventual smut with a plot had to be dealt with sooner or later. xD
> 
> Finally, all comments, kudos, bookmarks, and subbies are extremely appreciated! It makes my heart happy :) just like for any writer. Thanks again for reading & have a good one guys!  
> 


	5. Sweet Dreams and Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready to meet two new characters! Along with discovering more info about the war. But I hope that you'll adore a very special moment between Yang and Mercury a lot more. Enjoy! <3

The flashing images were reflective in Mercury’s eyes. They were helplessly glued onto the giant movie screen as he was forced to watch one of his flashbacks. It was when he first arrived at Yang’s apartment, helped her clean, and before things got more, _intimate_. He couldn’t comprehend where he was or why he was in this situation. Eventually, the monitor displayed photos of Mercury messing around with her scroll. How they wrestled before she ordered pizza and the images portrayed every face expression they made, especially Yang’s. Mercury had a pleased smirk because he distinctly remembered how flustered she felt that night when he removed his shirt.

 

 _I totally got back at her for sending me that flick of death._ He thought proudly.

 

“That was priceless… and cute.” He said before the image switched and his statement echoed almost endlessly in the dark room.

 

His mind was gradually becoming more aware of his surroundings. He was stuck in a wooden chair, feeling mostly numb, and was all alone watching the bright beaming monitor sharing more pictures of him and Yang.

 

“I guess you’re forced to watch some of your past before you die? If God or whoever was going to determine where I’m going… I don’t understand why these images are mostly of Blondie’s face..” He snickered at the screen that clicked when every snapshot changed.

 

“I must be going insane. Maybe that’s why you’re showing me her pitiful expressions-“ he stopped his remark after the screen skipped to the part when he first kissed her.

 

Mercury didn’t know why, but he assessed every detail of her astonished face. The picture was left on pause for more than 3 minutes. He found it extremely annoying since the time limit was extended, compared to the other images that were shown.

 

He pursed his lips because he remembered _exactly_ how he felt that day. That kiss backfired and caused him to form a bemused expression. Feelings he never dealt with before, which exposed why his eyes were diverted and avoided her gaze. He definitely acknowledged the fact that he almost became attached to her that night. He even recalled a sense of yearning. The only times he yearned for something was when he wanted to murder his vicious father, and help repay Cinder for giving him a new pair of legs.

 

The flashbacks were starting to get on his nerves, but he made sure to keep his composure. The flat screen continued to present more random times he spent with Yang that were virtually sentimental.

 

These moments included watching action movies in bed together while eating tons of pizza with one of them nearly falling asleep. Other moments included lots of wrestling and sparring. Then there were multiple shots of Yang sending Mercury a punch in the face or a kick in the stomach for reasons he couldn’t exactly remember why. Afterwards, there was this one photo that had Blake and Sun in the background. Blake looked unsurprised while Sun’s mouth was open while pointing at a naked Yang and Mercury.

 

Mercury lightly laughed because this event took place during his third year with Yang. Their little secret was disclosed but Blake didn’t seem to care, as if she already discovered it a long time ago. She walked away to go make some food, while Sun wouldn’t leave due to shock. _The monkey faunus was obnoxiously loud and annoying when he found out. Blondie sure has some weird friends._

 

“So… what gives?” He asked the motion picture as it exhibited Mercury kissing Yang’s neck in front of her dad. Yang and her father were clearly agitated in the photo, but he knew that she liked it. _I definitely earned two points that day_. Mercury cocked a smirk. However, he recalled how this took place five months ago, before they lost contact. He and Emerald were sent away to settle some issues with Ironwood.

 

For some reason, being alone in the dark and reminiscing about old times did some wonders. It made Mercury admit how he didn’t see a reason to tell Yang that they were leaving. He assumed that she would have felt relieved and they could focus on other things.

 

_I don’t know why I got caught in an endless rivalry that turned to us having casual “meetings”, and sometimes she just happens to sleepover._

He convinced himself that they weren’t anything more. Yang was just another bombshell that liked to check on him. She would even make him and Emerald nutritious meals because she noticed that their fridge was mostly filled with junk food. Mercury enjoyed the fact that she was jealous of his fast metabolism, but she kept pestering that he should eat healthier. To his surprise, he eventually listened to her... even though Emerald took her advice first.

 

Mercury sunk into his chair and gripped onto the sides, still denying that they had something. He refused to admit it, but slowly accepted his defeat.

 

“Who am I kidding?”… He later scoffed.

 

Mercury knew that neither of their egos would go down and talk like normal adults about their complex relationship. He managed to keep his feelings bottled up and _clearly_ , he can’t keep them in for that much longer. If Yang was some other chick, he would have told them to fuck off and leave, but for some reason, he couldn’t do it. Mercury didn’t mind how things were, but wondered if she didn’t mind not having labels.

 

If she wanted one, he was just waiting for her to ask. Then  _maybe_ , she would bring up the eventual confrontation since she was more direct than he was.

 

Mercury didn’t even realize they’ve been involved with one another for years. Only now, after the damn screen exploited him. He felt a bit insulted by his indifference and questioned why they haven’t grown tired of each other yet.

 

 _Why didn't she just leave?_ _I have nothing to offer or give to her anyway…Blondie’s a hopeless fool to stay with me for so long._ He said in his head and still felt the troublesome feelings of contradiction. A part of him knew that he did have something to give her that others couldn’t. But his pride wouldn’t allow him to confront her and he was just as hopeless as Yang. He growled at the movie screen.

 

“If you’re trying to teach me a lesson about failing to tell Blondie to get lost… I’ll do it. Just stop showing me pictures of her flustered face. You got that?! Damn it!… Send me to hell already.”

 

After his request, the screen turned blank and his body was no longer numb. He stood up and folded his arms.

 

“That’s it? Telling her to leave won’t be a problem. I’m sure she’ll get over it and at most… I’ll get sucker punched in the face, but I’ll dodge it… as usual.” Mercury announced arrogantly.

 

Shortly after his response, the monitor illuminated with a white light, revealing a disturbing image causing Mercury to freeze. It was a picture of Yang…. dead. Her eyes were open, lying on the ground. She was stabbed and her heart was removed from her chest.

 

_Click._

 

The next photo was very similar, but this time it was a photo of Emerald and Ruby that were chopped up into pieces

 

_Click, click, click!!_

 

Dead corpses of Taiyang, Qrow, Ozpin, Nora, Ren, Jaune, and Ironwood’s entire army were presented. Mercury’s chest tightened from anxiety and the screen displayed more photos of how Team RWBY would die.

 

The image changed once more, and it was a picture of Mercury’s survival. However, he was on his knees, staring back with a blank face and was drenched in blood. The monitor’s time limit was up, and the photograph disappeared.

 

“What is this?!” Mercury yelled at the screen with rage. “You want Yang dead? All of them? Why?!”

 

He kicked the screen furiously and it cracked in half. After his attack, it still managed to display one last photo. This time… it was a picture of Yang crying loudly in the rain. She was holding Mercury’s lifeless body. His heart was also ripped out of his chest and she was sitting in an immense puddle of his blood.

 

His jaw was tense and sent an intimidating glare at the screen. Along with determination in his eyes.

 

“You know what?... I changed my mind." Mercury smirked.

 

"I’m going to protect her… and the rest of them. I can promise you _that_.” He banged on the cracked screen.

 

“Whoever’s watching, hear my warning. You’ll have to kill me first and note that I’ll always save that reckless, obstinate, pure hearted fool any day. I _am_ the assassin… afterall.”

 

He presented the number on his right shoulder.

 

“You caught me... I like her. Maybe a bit more than I thought, since those pictures nearly exploited everything. Thanks for the lesson. I’ll be on my way now.”

 

He sent a powerful strike of wind and the screen shattered. Just like he predicted, there was a door. He opened it and there was a gleaming yellow light. He headed towards it with his arm up, shielding his eyes. He wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but he _definitely_ wasn’t planning on dying.

* * *

Mercury slowly opened his eyes but his vision was blurred and felt someone sitting on him. He could sense that a woman was evaluating and gently outlining his scar with her finger. Then she traced the number and hugged him tightly, while resting her head on his shoulder.

Warm drips of water streamed down his arm. As his vision became clear, he recognized that sweet smell that was tickling his nose. He blinked and it was Yang, clinging onto him as if he was about to disappear, when in reality, he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

 

He heard her sniffling and slightly turned his head, seeing that there was only 20 minutes left before midnight.

 

“Yang…” he softly called out, and moved her golden mane out of his face with his free hand.

 

She looked up and her pinkish cheeks faded as he wiped her tears away with his thumb.

 

“You’re unbelievable, and strange. Did you know that?” He smirked and she crossed her arms. Even though she was unpleased by his comment, Mercury liked the fact that she cared about him. She began to move away but he wrapped his arms around her, and railed her into his embrace as he rested on the bed.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said and he raised a brow before he asked.

 

“Why are you apologizing? Did you stay here because you didn’t want to lose your best sex partner? Or did you hope that I would drop dead?” He joked.

 

Yang didn’t take that lightly at all and punched him hard in the arm. _Wow, that actually hurt._ “What’s wrong Blondie? I was joking and I’m awake now. Relax.” He said in a calm tone.

 

“How could I relax when you were on the brink of death!!” She yelled so loud with exasperation that the entire floor heard her.

 

She forcefully pushed him away and sat up straight. She looked like she was about to give him a full out lecture about how much of an asshole he was, since her index finger was pointed at his nose. The silence took over, while the ticking sound from the clock was all they could hear.

 

“I stayed here… for you. I didn’t leave your side for one second, waiting for you to open your eyes. If another minute went by, you would have… you know.” She said wholeheartedly with some hints of dismay in her voice. He could literally feel her pain. As if it got transmitted into his chest and Mercury felt like a complete jackass.

 

Suddenly, the images of her crying over his dead corpse flashed back into his memory. Followed by a brief image of Yang’s lifeless body made the pain in his chest increase. He guessed that the enemy wasn’t too far away, and the images were “reminders” of what could happen if he didn’t handle things carefully. He rolled back his shoulders and became more serene and focused. Then thought carefully before he spoke.

 

 _I guess this is only some of the pain and anxiety she felt while I was unconscious._ He thought when he stared at her frustrated face. He moved her finger out of the way and tapped her nose. Then he clutched her hands and caught her attention.

 

“Blondie… you should know me by now. My sarcastic, shitty remarks are just some of my defense mechanisms. I don’t know how to comfort people during serious situations like this, but I’ll admit that I was a douchebag earlier. I want to apologize for that.”

 

Yang was caught off guard by his words, but responded back by giving him a smile. He gave her one back and felt sort of proud that their communication skills were getting better. However, Mercury sat up straight even more before he continued to avow.

 

“I’m aware that you overheard my conversation with Archer. I know that you’ll be staring at this scar and the mark imprinted on my body a lot. I’m sure that these marks will remind you of that fight, and how I’m at risk of losing my life. Now do me a favor… I want you to stay away from me, until this war is over.” Mercury strictly stated.

 

“No.”

 

“Yang, listen-“

 

“No.” She tightened her grip on his hands.

 

“This is a war Yang! It’s a more complicated one between cunning, corrupted, dangerous beings that aren’t like me. They are beyond saving. If you lose your life because of my past actions and my family‘s reputation as murderers… I will never forgive myself. Let me deal with the consequences because I deserve this. This is my fight… and my karma. I’ll figure something out, so don’t waste your tears.”

 

She sighed heavily, before she looked back into his eyes. She knew that he was only looking out for her and why he didn’t want her to get involved. But she wasn’t going to allow him to go through this alone. Yang knew that Mercury was smart, but sometimes she had to knock some sense into him when he wasn’t. _This_ is one of them.

 

“Merc, I’m already caught up in this mess as well. Archer is one of the top wanted criminals in Remnant. The mission I took for Uncle Qrow has to be reported back to Ozpin and Ironwood. They _need_ to know what’s going on. Yes, I heard everything, so please hear me out when I say this. You can’t win a war all by yourself. You need trustworthy allies and I don’t think only having Emerald is enough to fight 6 other members. Archer was already hard to deal with… and we don’t know who or what the rest of the members are like.” She rubbed his hand gently to comfort him.

 

“I don’t know what you similarities you guys share, but I do know that you’ve changed. Don’t get me wrong… you’re still an asshole, but I’m not leaving you. Since you’re known as the "Assassin", then I’ll establish myself as, "The Rule Breaker". Therefore, I’ll remain by your side. Remember that.” She winked with a sly smirk.

 

Mercury groaned out of frustration and because she was right. Once she makes up her mind, there’s no stopping her. He also remembered the promise he made from earlier and knew that Yang was a tough fighter that could handle herself. Those facts eased his mind.

 

“Alright, _Rule Breaker_. You’re allowed to join Team Assassin under _one_ condition.” He shot a sly grin and Yang immediately rolled her eyes.

 

“What could I possibly do to become an official member of Team Asswipe?” She teased.

 

“Not funny… It’s almost New Year’s Day, and I want you to tell me your New Year’s Resolution. Say it now, before I change my mind.”

 

“You won’t, and sure, as long as you tell me yours since you were being a complete jerk earlier. Every year actually.” Yang jeered.

 

“Touché” he replied and waited for her to go first.

 

“My New Year’s Resolution is… to ensure your safety. I’ll get stronger and I want to protect you… Mercury.”

 

She batted her eyelashes and he quickly looked up at the ceiling and rubbed the nape of his neck. He felt that tedious, gratifying feeling again. No matter how many times he saw her and was able to do everything else with her that most couples do. He absolutely refused to mention his feelings towards her tonight… even though he easily did it to a fucking projector screen.

 

 _I’m pathetic. Actually, I think we’re equally pathetic._ Mercury concluded in his head.

 

“Your turn,” Yang nudged him to move over so she could sit next to him in his bed and share the blanket.

 

Once the tinge of red on his face vanished, he watched the blonde nuisance try to hog the entire blanket for herself. He enjoyed viewing her fail epically. Then, that’s when an idea popped into his head. Even though he found it corny… he had a feeling it would make her happy.

 

Mercury glanced at the clock and began to lean towards her.

 

"5!!”…. The medical staff on every floor shouted with excitement as they watched the glittering ball begin to drop on live TV.

 

"4!!”…. Mercury grabbed Yang’s arms and stared deeply into her eyes, tilting his head.

 

"3!!!”…. Yang pursed her lips, as she became enchanted by his stare and her heart was racing.

 

"2!!!”…. She tilted her head and caressed his face. They closed their eyes with their chests already pressed together.

 

"1!!!” …. Mercury cupped the back of her head, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her in.

 

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!” ... Yang and Mercury kissed. Bursts of fireworks and ecstasy overflowed in their chests when their lips met. Another year went by, and the captivating yearning they had for each other was still inescapable. The hindered passion they kept inside, eventually made its way to their heads and hearts.

 

After their intense kiss, Yang pulled away first and asked, “Does your resolution involve not being a jerk anymore? It’s very odd of you to give someone a New Year’s Kiss… because I know that you find it extremely cheesy.” She gave him a big, satisfied smile.

 

“You know me well, but no. Being a douche is one of my favorite customs... I’m not into that cliché shit, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try.” He smirked.

 

 _I only did it for you, but I doubt you’d realize that._ Mercury thought.

_Aww, I can’t believe this irritable, yet also sweet jackass… did this for me. I’m sure you won’t do something like this again, but my wish for you came true. You’re alive and I like the effort for being cute. Good job Mercury._ Yang smiled once more and gave him a sweet, tender kiss.

 

_You stole my resolution Blondie. I still would have kissed you... even though you’re just as annoying as I am. If I had to make another one, it would be to earn your trust, so you’d never doubt me. I don’t want you thinking that I’m going to abandon you… These thoughts can't be revealed to you yet. I’m sure you know why and if not... maybe next time._

He kissed her forehead and the side of her neck.

 

“Thanks for dealing with me for 7 years. I don’t know how you do it. I should be given a trophy for dealing with a beast that still can’t hold back her Obliterate-Merc’s-Face REFLEX.” He proclaimed with his famous smug that she still hated.

 

“You never stopped being a jerk! I should be rewarded as well, for dealing with someone like you and your BS. It should be called the Yang-has-every-right-to-punch-this-douchebag award!”

 

“I knew that you wanted me even before our bedroom brawl… If you start having second thoughts, it’s too late now.” He trapped her with his arms and cybernetic legs.

 

Mercury had one eye open and checked which expression she had on her face. He guessed that she was either incredibly annoyed, struggling with rage, or both. When he did, he saw that she didn’t have either of those expressions. Instead, she looked rather peaceful and content in his arms, as she tried to hide herself under the blanket.

 

She wrapped her arms around him and her sweet scented hair lightly touched his nose, while some got in his mouth. He rubbed her back and rested his chin on the top of her head. Yang pressed her ear against his scar, and listened to his strong heartbeat.

 

“Don’t worry... as long as our hearts are beating, we’ll be ok.” Mercury assured and fell asleep.

 

She looked up at him and was amazed by how fast he fell asleep. But she was even more amazed by how secure she felt from his reassurance. She hugged him tighter, and kissed his two marks.

 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m still going to protect you though. My lucky number seven. Goodnight… you hopeless dumby.”

Yang broadly smiled and snuggled her face into his chest and finally, fell asleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, two enigmatic men sitting on the rooftop a few blocks away remained focused on the sleeping Yang and Mercury.

 

“Did you find anything interesting, my Young Lord?” A 26-year-old man in a black tuxedo with long snowy white hair that was tied back asked, as his white wolf ears twitched out of curiosity.

 

“Yes, just enough before he figured it out. I presented some of his significant memories to keep his mind occupied and body numb. I kept him under surveillance and found _other_ important dreams and nightmares that could be used against him in the future.” The 18-year-old boy with porcelain skin proclaimed articulately as he lowered the binoculars.

 

He stroked his jet-black hair and assessed the midnight blue tips in his front bangs carefully. Afterwards, he removed his white gloves and got up. Then glanced at his assistant.

 

“Fenrir, I’m afraid I can’t annihilate Assassin today… only because our _insurance_ , is sleeping right next to him.” The boy fixed his black tux and matching blue tie with a white cross on it. Then put back on his black eye patch over his right eye.

 

“Are you sure? He managed to break out earlier than the others. No wonder he was chosen as the last class member. Shouldn’t we get rid of him now?” The wolf faunus wagged his tail and his bright yellow eyes glistened with excitement.

 

“Assassins are very observant, quick analyzers, and critical thinkers. No matter what situation they are in, they adjust and adapt. They make precise attacks depending on how skilled they are. That’s why his mind is usually more focused and under control, causing him to break free.” He handed Fenrir the binoculars.

 

“I see my Young Lord. I am sworn to protect you and owe you my life. I am more than delighted to assist and fulfill your wish, of becoming the Greatest God and Ruler of all.” Fenrir bowed.

 

“Your words flatter me. Next time, I’ll examine the blonde woman’s mind and depending on the situation, we can use her as a hostage, or make her do some of the dirty work.” The boy smirked.

 

“Would her strong feelings for Assassin interfere with your plans? It’s a shame that Archer escaped. We could have included him in our trap.” Fenrir pouted with disappointment.

 

“I don’t believe so. I’ll give her a compelling nightmare that will take her awhile to escape from, before she also falls into a deep slumber.

 

Even though Archer escaped, he allowed us to acquire some interesting information about Assassin during their battle. Mercury Black has no knowledge of the prize that is obtained after the war ends. Therefore, he only wants to survive. If my original plan fails… we can try to persuade another class to join us. Possibly number 4, even though she’s psychotic.”

 

“Are you referring to Summoner? She’ll be a hard one to make business deals with. If anything, she might try to kill you or keep you all to herself, and I can’t allow her to do that.” Fenrir hugged his master tightly.

 

The boy loudly cleared his throat and whacked his wolf butler in the face with a glove, leaving a red mark. However, Fenrir adored it.

 

“If Assassin’s lover fails to leave him laying on the ground before I can kill him. We’ll find the Summoner and she’ll finish the job... Then we’ll kill them at the same time. I’m sure she’ll agree to my offer if I use my semblance on her prized possession. If she refuses to work with us, we’ll search for Archer. He’s hiding and planning a new state of course. He’s going to need all the help that he can get, due to his close downfall.” He ridiculed.

 

“If I may ask, why are we so far away from the hospital? I can kill them both right now, while you stay here and rest.” Fenrir’s sadistic smile appeared.

 

“Oh? That reminds me… I’m afraid I left out some very important information when I saved you. Sit and I shall explain how this new exciting game works.” The boy sat and patted the floor. “You may rest your head on my lap.”

 

“You’re so kind my Lord!” His tail wagged even more and got comfortable.

 

“First, there are 7 chosen ones who each received their mark. The higher power imprinted a specific number on their body that symbolizes their class, and that they were worthy enough to become a member for whatever reason it may be. The goal is to annihilate each other and be the last one standing. It is significant to know that _only_ the ‘main members or chosen ones’ can officially annihilate a class from the war, _for good_.

 

If not, they will simply recover. Just like how Assassin survived due to his comrades rescuing him. That’s what causes the game to be much longer and a bit complicated because each class has their own strategy and allies.”

 

“I see. If you want Assassin to be officially gone… only _you,_ my Young Lord, can do that. Not me. I can only assist?”

 

“Yes. For example, if I killed Assassin right now with my semblance, or which ever way I choose to kill him. The number 7 on his shoulder would fade away and appear on my body. It indicates that I was the one who defeated him, and I am more worthy of claiming the prize. Once I destroy all the other classes, all of the numbers will glow and open the gate, leading to the treasured prize.

 

In addition to your questions Fenrir, I choose not to get any closer to Assassin because if I do… our marks will illuminate and produce an intense sting. The amount of stings and bright light is like a warning that another member or more are near.” The 18-year-old put his right hand in his assistant’s face, showing the number 3.

 

“Ahh, interesting. Now recapping what I know so far, having allies is just as important because it will allow you to kill each other faster? But the allies cannot kill the chosen ones... Only injure them badly enough to the brink of death. Then any chosen ones will annihilate them to remove them from the war. Am I right?” Fenrir looked up and his tail stopped moving.

 

“Yes, all of your statements are correct.” The boy said, petting the faunus’s head.

 

“Last question. Since you are one of the honorable seven. What class and name did the higher power bless you with?”

 

“I was classified as… the Mage.” The boy responded simply.

 

“The class suites you perfectly! So once they all die by your graceful hands. You shall have your wishes granted?”

 

“Yes. Depending on the amount of lives that were taken, amount selfishness, and evil doings… The prize thrives from some of these actions and other traits to activate its power. I am positive, that the last survivor gets at least one wish granted.

 

Fenrir… think of it this way. If you ever played a simple game of chess…it only had two Kings. The pawns and those with higher roles protected the Kings from being captured, or else it’s called, ‘Check mate’.

 

The previous war was like a game of chess that lasted for many, many years between Ozpin and Salem. They were the Kings. However, everytime Ozpin lost, he was resurrected due to being cursed and the game restarted.

 

Ozpin finally won because he had reliable, strong, and new special pawns over the years. Some examples would be Ironwood’s army and his group of determined children that wanted justice. While Salem’s army involved summoning Grimm and strong beings that wanted some form of revenge, which ignited their determination for power. In the end, Ozpin’s comrades were a lot stronger. He finally cornered Salem and declared, ‘Check Mate’.

 

That’s why making deals, taking risks and finding the right people is just as important as the Chosen Ones’ roles in this war, which is the ability to kill the other classes. Since there are 7, performing a ‘Check Mate’ on each one is obviously more challenging compared to a game between two Kings.

 

Additionally, it’s no longer a war between Good vs. Evil. It’s a war between 7 beings that made some cruel choices along the way. Who knows what they did and what wishes or motivations they have in order to obtain the prize… but at least you know mine. You support my dream and wish, don’t you Fenrir?” He petted his head once more.

 

“Absolutely Lord Somnus! I am your most dependable and loyal servant. I will be your shield and help you lay the others to rest… _forever._ You are the most powerful in my eyes.” Fenrir smiled as his yellow eyes looked into Somnus’s charcoal colored iris.

 

“Also, what exactly did you do to become one of the chosen seven?”

 

“I’ll inform you some other time. We need to find you something to eat.” Somnus put back on his gloves as they both stood up.

 

“I’m delighted my kind Lord. Also, rumor has it… were you affiliated with Archer in the past?”

 

Somnus chuckled as he was slowly walking away and looked over.

 

“Let’s just say, Archer was different back then. He’s now a hypocrite, corrupted, and no longer the person he used to be. He still hates churches, despises the rich, and isn’t so _kind_ towards the poor anymore. His name was tarnished by.... I’m sure you can take a guess. Now that reviewing time is over. What would you like to eat for dinner, Fenrir?”

 

“Tonight, I want to indulge on the hearts of newborn infants. They’re the most delicious and tender. It tastes like steak, if I had to compare it what you humans eat.” The wolf faunus kneeled down so he could carry his master on his back. Somnus climbed on and formed a dark expression on his face and smirked.

 

“Then under my grace, you shall receive. Lucky for you… babies l _ove_ to sleep.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <333 ^-^
> 
> First, I might disappear for awhile because I'm starting Nursing 101 and it's accelerated. I refuse to fail out of the program lol. Therefore, chapters will be posted randomly and slowly. 
> 
> Second, Archer has ash brown hair now. I edited it in chapter 1. This minor change is a little hint that may help u guys figure out which character I based him off of. If not, that's ok. You'll find out eventually. ;)
> 
> Third, shout out to my awesome friends Shipperoftrashyships for always being kind and supportive!!! She's such a sweet person and her fics are written with lovely fluff and good quality. Along with my other sweet friend SassyUnicorn7!!! Her fanfics of GnG was the main reason why I started writing my own and to express my love for this ship. Definitely check both of their fanfictions out!! You won't regret it! \\(^_^)/
> 
> Thank you to those that gave me kudos and left very nice comments. They motivated me to keep writing. I appreciate every single one of them and thanks for giving this fanfic a chance even just by looking at it. Bye for now <3 I'll do my best to work on the next one.


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